Generation Z, or those born between 1997 and 2012, are shaking up workplace norms, including how critical feedback is delivered. Cultures clash when older generations, who may have gone without much explanation or care in their early careers, critique younger workers in ways that unintentionally alienate or discourage them, experts who study the multigenerational workforce say.
Gen Z is only going to become a larger part of the workforce — they’re expected to comprise more than 32 percent by 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And they’re asking employers to listen.
Gen Z employees reported the greatest decline in feeling cared about at work, having the chance to learn and grow, having progress discussions with their supervisors, and feeling that their opinions matter, according to a recent Gallup survey. And less engaged workers often leave.
“Rather than just saying, ‘Hey, you did this wrong,’ say, ‘I’d like to have a conversation on where your thought process was and where you went wrong,’” said Yatri Patel, 24-year-old software engineer at the Tennessee Valley Authority, the energy agency where she’s working her first full-time job. “Help me understand.”
As the first generation to have grown up with the internet at their fingertips as toddlers, Gen Z is used to having instant access to information, experts said. So when they don’t know how to do or understand something, they go online for more information. They bring those expectations to work, where information about the workplace can be harder to access, said Megan Gerhardt, professor at Miami University and author of “Gentelligence: A Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce.”
“Through Google, Siri and Alexa, they got answers to anything they wanted to ask,” she said. “In the workplace, they’re moving into situations where free information about why things are done a certain way is elusive or muddled.”
In the same light, Gen Z also expects feedback to be immediate. Even when it comes to watching their favorite TV shows, they’re used to getting content instantaneously, said Jake Aguas, generational expert and Biola University professor of human resources.
“Streaming didn’t exist for other generations” when they were young, he said. “You had to wait to watch a show. It was part of the process.”
Patel knows feedback is key to doing a good job. But if it isn’t delivered properly, the criticism can be detrimental.
So what might that look like? Managers withholding critiques for weeks or months, preventing her from immediately applying it to her work. Or they focus solely on what she did poorly, without explaining why and how to do better. Or they might deny her the chance to explain herself or play a role in finding a solution.
Gen Zers who spoke to The Washington Post said they view work differently from other generations who sacrificed their time, well-being and family lives for jobs that often didn’t value them as people. Instead, they want to be themselves at work, feel that their voice matters, and that their managers are empathetic and will invest in relationships with them. They also value context on why things should be done certain ways.
“Every single interaction does matter,” said Sarah Warren, 26, who is a Los Angeles-based executive director and co-founder of a mental health nonprofit for health-care workers. “You’re dealing with human beings. You can help stop burnout through vulnerability and compassion.”
Warren, who previously worked as a nurse, said she once had a manager who constantly pulled her aside to tell her she was doing things wrong. The manager also patronized her at times, comparing her to her daughter and commenting that her scrubs were too tight. She felt miserable.
She instead would’ve preferred the chance to converse about how things could be done differently versus feeling shamed for her mistakes, she said.
Context is key, so short, quick critiques without explanation can be anxiety-inducing, Gen Zers said. That can lead to the young workers filling in the blanks with self-doubt or negative assumptions that managers never intended.
Shad Brown, a security coordinator at 3M, said if he sees unexpected meetings pop up on his calendar or short vague messages from supervisors, he gets nervous.
“Whenever I receive an instant message that says, ‘I need to talk to you,’ I immediately think, ‘Oh no, is this bad?’” he said. “It does cause anxiety and gets the blood pressure going.”
He also said receiving harsh feedback at the end of the day on Friday would be a nightmare because he would probably stew over it all weekend and have trouble sleeping. Tact is key in critiques, Brown said, meaning: Attack the problem. Don’t attack the person.
Young workers also want a voice in helping fix problems versus just being told what to do.
Angel Davis, a 22-year-old social media assistant for the educational tech company Quizlet, said this helps her avoid repeating mistakes. One of the worst things a manager can do is tell her she did something wrong and then fix it without any conversation.
“It would be confusing and demotivate me,” the New York resident said. “If you’re going to redo my work, why did I do it? And if you can’t explain things to me, I’m never going to fully understand.”
When young workers get to know their manager’s personality and perspective and feel like their manager cares about them personally, Gen Zers said, it helps frame any feedback. Regular check-ins, even if they’re not work-related and asking questions about how they’re feeling aid in building those relationships.
Joel Velez, a 24-year-old digital marketing specialist in the Milwaukee area, said he appreciates when managers take a counselor-type approach and create a culture of openness and empathy. Even a phrase as simple as “feel free to ask questions” helps quell anxiety, Velez said. “It’s a good reminder that this is a learning environment.”
As a manager of Gen Zers, Hannah Tooker has learned to tailor feedback to her young workers’ individual personalities and learning styles. The Phoenix-based senior vice president of marketing agency LaneTerralever, said that, unlike managing other generations, she has to balance emotional and business needs — and her young workers have not been afraid to ask for changes.
“I have to understand how they communicate and what they want to talk about,” said Tooker, a millennial. “They keep me on my toes.”
Young workers say older generations are wrong to label them as lazy or soft. Instead, they just want to bring humanity back to the workplace. Gerhardt, the generational workforce expert says, all managers should ask: What is your goal in providing feedback? And is your approach working?
Workplaces don’t have to change. But young workers will choose the environments where they feel most comfortable, experts say.
“There’s a little ‘us versus them,’ and, ‘If I couldn’t have this, then I’m not going to do it for anyone else,’” Gerhardt said. “But we need to get back to the idea that we want the next generation to do better than we did.”
